Keynotes and Workshops
Dr. Mara Karpel is a Clinical Psychologist, Speaker, Author of the International Best-Seller, The Passionate Life: Creating Vitality & Joy at Any Age, which was published in 2018 and just recently launched on Audible. Dr. Mara is also the host of the internet radio show, Dr. Mara Karpel & Your Golden Years, she’s been named the “Passionate Living Motivator” for the organization, Compassionate Austin, and she’s a contributing blogger to Thrive Global, Huffington Post , Sivana East and Medium. Dr. Mara has been working with adults of all ages for over 30 years, and has specialized at working with seniors, caregivers, and veterans.
Speaking Engagements
Dr. Mara Speaks on a Number of Topics!
Invite Dr. Mara to your organization or your next event. She frequently speaks on the following topics; however, she can also craft a workshop or keynote to fit your specific needs. Contact her for more details!
Creating a Passionate Life at Any Age
Based on Dr. Mara’s book, The Passionate Life: Creating Vitality & Joy at Any Age, this keynote/workshop for all who want to live a more vital, joyful life! After all, Passion, Joy, and Vitality are not just for the young! They are meant for the young at heart no matter what our age. Dr. Mara will give valuable tips for creating a meaningful, vital, and joyful life – no matter what challenges they may face. Whether you are early in your journey, moving into a new chapter of life, looking to climb out of a rut, or finding your way again after being lost for years, Dr. Mara shares a wealth of knowledge to help all of us feel vital and alive – physically, mentally, intellectually, and spiritually – well into our golden years.
Empowering Caregivers in an Ageist Healthcare System
In this interactive discussion, we will talk about what ageism looks like in the healthcare system and the specific obstacles caregivers face in advocating for their loved ones, as well as ways to be empowered as a caregiver/healthcare advocate.We’ll also look at how caregivers can establish healthy self-care practices, build resilience, and find passion, even while navigating the tricky labyrinth of caregiving.
Releasing Anxiety and Increasing Joy
Any significant event in our lives, even ones that we expect to be positive, such as falling in love, usually causes many changes in our daily existence and affects our perception of our life or plans for the future. As creatures of habit, these deviations in our routine create stress, as do more difficult situations such as losing a job or a loved one. If we were to have no stress at all, we wouldn’t get to experience new and exciting adventures.
However, the research has shown again and again that, if we chronically experience the stress reaction, often referred to as a “fight or flight response,” it will cause damage to every system of the human body, as well as depression and anxiety disorders. And it will cause frequent or constant feelings of fear that interfere with enjoying life. On the other hand, by inducing the relaxation response on a regular basis, we can heal health issues and psychological distress that have been caused by stress.
We’ll discuss how to bring about the relaxation response through techniques that directly affect our physiology, as well as through looking at our thoughts and the way that we frame situations we face.
Recognizing Late-Life Depression and Anxiety
Recent psychological research has found that millions of adults will experience depression at some point in their lives and that 50% of people dealing with depression also have an anxiety disorder. The World Health Organization has found that the Covid-19 pandemic increased the prevalence of anxiety and depression by 25% worldwide. Preliminary research has shown in increase of depression among Russian-speaking Holocaust survivors in the U.S.
According to the NIH, late-life depression, because of its devastating consequences of increased risk of morbidity, increased risk of suicide, and decreased physical, cognitive, and social functioning, is considered a public health problem. Depression in older adults often appears differently than in younger adults and, because of this, often goes unrecognized. Understanding the ways in which age may affect the factors associated with depression, how depression (and anxiety) appears in older adults, and strategies for prevention are all necessary for the physical and emotional well-being of our elderly community.
We’ll discuss depression and anxiety in the elderly, including the causes, appearance, treatment, and prevention….because late-life depression shouldn’t be accepted as a “given.”
Finding Peace in Difficult Times
The world is more challenged now than we have experienced in generations. We are being called on to use our gifts to bring light and joy into the world. As the saying goes, it just takes one candle to light the darkness. We’ll discuss how we can bring that light into the darkness. And how, in doing so, we bring light into our own lives. There are times when we think our path to follow our passion is blocked. But, it may be that we’re being diverted to do something needed in the world, our community, or our family. We can turn that path into our passion, temporarily or even for the long term.
Mara has presented at the Fort Worth Area Psychological Association, Online Wellness Expo, Wisdom Talk Radio with Laurie Seymour, Stamford, CT Jewish Family Services and many others.
Testimonials
I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Dr. Mara Karpel at our recent professional development event for psychologists, which was nothing short of exceptional. Dr. Karpel brought a profound understanding of the unique challenges faced by caregivers and offered practical, insightful strategies for supporting them effectively. Her presentation was informative and deeply engaging, combining personal insights with real-world applications. The session was a transformative experience, leaving many of us with renewed inspiration and actionable tools to better support caregivers in our own practices. I highly recommend Dr. Karpel to any organization seeking a compelling, knowledgeable, and empathetic speaker on the critical topic of caregiver support.
Russ Wood, Ph.D., President-Elect
Fort Worth Area Psychological Association
Thank you, Dr. Karpel, for spending time with the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies Older Adult Services Professionals Affinity Group. Your knowledge of depression in Older Adults is evident. Life is certainly not easy these days what with the war in Ukraine. Many of our clients have family and friends there. Your understanding of the enormity of the situation and the strategies you gave us will help us to identify these in need of more attention. I also liked the concrete tools you gave us at the end of the session, to not only work with our clients, but to better ourselves.
Lisa-Loraine Smith, LCSW, Chief Program Officer
Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies
Thank you for coming to the Older Adult Affinity Group of NJHSA. There were so many positive comments regarding your presentation as it was very pertinent to our population as well as the challenges that people are facing over the past two years. Your presentation was informative and provided so many key points in helping to identify someone who is older that could be suffering silently from depression. You have opened the eyes of many people which I am sure will result in some positive benefits to our clients as well as family members.
Brenda Yuen, Director, Programs and Communications
Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies
Dr. Mara Karpel is a wealth of information and adds a breath of fresh air when speaking about aging topics that can be very overwhelming. Thank you for engaging our attendees at the Austin Area Home Health Council meeting. I would highly recommend your services to both seniors and our senior industry partners.
Robyn Booth, Community Liaison
Senior Resource Guide for Active Aging Adults
Austin Area Home Health Council
Dr. Karpel spoke to a group of senior advocates in Austin, Texas, about the importance of being positive in life and especially when working with our elderly. She explained that we all have to reframe our thoughts, choose to look at situations in a more positive light, and to be aware of our thoughts. As many of us know, our thoughts can create our reality. Dr. Karpel was very well organized and had a handout for our advocates. Our advocates were very attentive, and many of them had questions which she answered with care and compassion. Her lecture was a big hit.
Laura Dutton
South Park Assisted Living
Austin, TX
Outstanding … Dr. Mara Karpel’s book The Passionate Life – Creating Vitality & Joy at Any Age is a riveting account of how people at any stage can embrace life. We highly recommend her as a guest speaker for her candor and rapport with the audience. She is extremely informative, interesting and entertaining … guaranteed to please the crowd.
E.S. Sunshine Haven, Inc., Olmito, TX
Sensational … an inspiring presentation of passion, joy and vitality. Our audience was enlightened with advice on following their dreams, being emotionally healthy, and so much more. We highly recommend Dr. Mara Karpel as a guest speaker to any group needing to be uplifted and delivered to a place of healing and positive thinking.
Sunshine Haven, Inc., Olmito, TX
Thank you for joining us once again. You are a terrific speaker with such an important message to share. Our clients were privileged to hear from you.
Rebekah Kanefsky and Marina Sapir
Elayne and James Schoke Jewish Family Service of Fairfield County